By the Rev, Canon J. E. Jackson, F.S.A. 



33 



If, as sometimes happened, a king granted a forest to a subject — 

 and such I believe was the case here — though it might retain the name, 

 it was no longer a forest in the eye of the law, because a forest was 

 a Royal dignity, and the King had given up his rights in it. It 

 would no longer be under a Justice of the forest, no subject having 

 the power of appointing a Justice. None but a King could do that. 



The Crown had two Justices of forests : one of whom exercised 

 jurisdiction over all forests North, the other upon all forests South 

 of the river Trent. They used to attend at certain times and places, 

 at what was called the " J ustice Seat." But there were other officers 

 of the forest, resident on the spot, to look after the king's rights 

 and see that they were not trespassed on. These were a warden, 

 (bailiff, or custos, for the name varies) ; verderers ; regarders; and 

 agisters. The verderer's business was to see to the timber ; the 

 agister's, to settle the different claims of persons for their cattle to 

 graze on the open pastures, and their pigs to range about for the 

 acorns. The regarder kept an eye on the limits, to see that no en- 

 closures were made, none of the waste lands occupied by stealth. 

 He had to make surveys, or regards, every three years. All these 

 officers were appointed by the king's writ, and they had certain 

 perquisites. The verderer was furnished with a fee of " five javelins, 

 one spear and one shield." They were generally esquires or gentle- 

 men of good account, wise and discreet, and learned in the laws of 

 the forest. They were all solemnly sworn in, at meetings of the 

 county. The foresters were of a lower class, corresponding nearly 

 to our keepers. These did the patrolling work, by day or night, 

 and reported offenders to their superiors. 



The two chief things to be watched in every forest are commonly 

 described by the familiar names of the " vert and venison." 



Vert of course meant all the green wood, or, in old English, green- 

 hue. It was of three kinds: — (1) the large timber trees, called 

 u Over-vert" or " Haut Lois " ; (2) all manner of under-wood, &c. ; 

 this was called " Nether-vert " ; and (3) another sort, consisting of 

 all such trees as bore fruit or berries useful for food for the sta^s — 

 as pear-trees, crab-trees, hawthorns, and the like. This was " Special 

 vert." 



VOL. XIX. — NO. LV. D 



